How they changed the world
by BRANCCH
Summary: This is about how a boy and an insect managed to change the world, for better or for worse, I'll leave it to you to decide.
1. Chapter 1

This story uses characters from the online game Ragnarok Online. So basically, every skill, class and monsterslisted here belongs to them.

(CHPT 1)This story took place 1500 years ago, before the Great War between the Gods, demons and mankind. Before the world was split asunder and distrust sowed between humans and Monsters. This was a time when humans and monsters still lived in relative harmony, a time when peace still reigned. However, the uneasy calm was about to end, with the help of an insignificant insect. It was a thief bug.

Now this was no ordinary thief bug. Its father was the chief male thief bug of the colony in the caverns on the outskirts of Prontera. (The sewers were not built yet during that time.) It came from a long line of respectable thief bugs, the chief hero being its Great-great-great-great-great grandfather, who led the thief bugs on a successful skirmish to drive out the tarous (white mice-like creatures) from these caverns. Ever since, the thief bugs have been living in their coveted 'promised land'.

However, this little thief bug was not content to stay in the caverns, scurrying round and looting whatever the farmiliars (bats) happened to drop. It wanted more, adventures like the ones its more illustrious ancestors used to have. And the only way to get that was to enter the outside world.

"Mama, what's it like outside?" it would often ask.

"You're too young to comprehend the complexities of the big world outside yet the dear! Wait till you're older." Its mother would often reply.

The little thief bug's mother was not being mean. She knew exactly how curious her son was and its tendency to explore unknown places. If she told it about the outside world at this tender age, who knows what it will do?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

One year later

The little thief bug blinked its six eyes in the sunlight. Unlike other insects, thief bugs take a relatively long time to mature, needing almost five years to reach adulthood. Therefore, our friend has now barely entered its teens.

"Whoa! So that's how the sun looks like!" He gaped, using the most clichéd line available.

Having never been outside, the little thief bug ran about excitedly. Eager to explore and take in this amazing new environment that is a polar opposite from the place he emerged from.

"I wish mum had allowed me to come out earlier…/sob"

Then, something happened that would change its life and the lives of everyone in Rune-Midgard forever. The little thief bug's meeting with its eventual master and best friend.

"Double Strafing!"

A hunter released two arrows into a creamy. The unfortunate monster gave a despairing shriek before finally dissolving into nothingness. However, it left a certain shiny card behind.

The hunter's eyes widened in surprise and disbelief. He simply could not believe his luck. That card could easily fetch him a million zennies in the market! As he walked triumphantly towards his prize, his euphoria changed into utter disbelief as a thief bug suddenly appeared and looted the card just before he could reach it.

In a moment of sheer anger, the hunter took out his bow and reached into his quiver, preparing to annihilate the pathetic insect that ingested his million zennies.

"Double… what the hell!" he exclaimed.

His own son stood in the way, shielding the thief bug with his own body.

"Dad, please don't kill it! We should respect monsters and their right to live." The boy pleaded.

"Get out of my way son! That bug is holding on to a million zennies. Think of how many things we can buy with that amount of money." The hunter replied, his eyes glistening dangerously.

"We might be able to remove the card naturally, without hurting the thief bug!" He argued. "Please Dad…"

The hunter pulled the bowstring back a few inches, taking aim and ready to fire at the insect. "I'm giving you three seconds. Three.. two.. " The hunter counted down.

However, his son stayed his position, knowing fully well that his father will not shoot him, no matter how greedy he may be.

"Oh shit son! You're in deep shit when we reach home!" The hunter exclaimed, deflated. "And bring that looting piece of shit home with you!"

Having said that, the hunter stalked off.

"Whew… I'm a goner. What was I thinking?" The boy said to no one in particular. However…

"Thank you sir for your kindness! How can I ever repay you?" The thief bug said to the boy.

"/OMG! You can talk!" The boy exclaimed, shocked.

"Of course I can talk!" The thief bug exclaimed nonchalantly. "You mean I'm not supposed to?"

"Oh no! Its just that I have never heard a monster talk before, even after so many years of interaction with them." The boy answered.

"Oh well, maybe I'm special/heh" The thief bug joked.

Unexpectedly, the boy took this question seriously. He examined the thief bug carefully and held it close to his lips before whispering…

"I think that you're the monster the fables are talking about." He said softly, as if afraid that someone would eavesdrop. "I think that you may be the fabled Golthibu. The monster that would be the catalyst for destruction…"

"HAHAHAHA… what are you talking about?" the little thief bug asked, perplexed. "How can I be some legendary force of destruction? I can't even win against a poring…"

"Maybe not now… but then again…" the boy hesitated, "maybe I might be wrong.' He finished. "Oh ya! What's your name?"

The thief bug regarded him critically. "I don't know. My mum calls me by screeching very loudly… should I have one?" the thief bug asked. "And _what's your_ name?"

"My name is Ret Carahc. You can call me Ret." The boy answered. He placed his hand on the back of the small monster and said, "I think I'll give you a name. I shall call you Loot! After what your species does best!" he exclaimed triumphantly. "Ok?"

"Ok... Loot… I like that name." The little thief bug said, a little wistfully. "I shall be known as Loot from now on!"

"Haha, ok Loot. I'm sorry but you'll have to follow me home." Ret said. "Otherwise, my father would skin me…"

As the two new friends started on their way towards Prontera,A certainfemale thief buglooked out of the caverns. She knew that male thief bugs would have to leave the colony after their first year in order to learn more about the outside world and find a mate. However, she still felt insecure about her son's future.

"I'll just have to believe in him. He came from a long line of heroes after all." She consoled herself.

That night in the Carahc's residence, Ret was having an argument with his parents.

"Son, since you insisted that the thief bug be spared, you are responsible for removing the card. If it was a worm peeling I would not have minded, but that is a MILLION ZENNIES we're talking about!" Ret's mother chided him.

"Yeah. Dig his shit or whatever but just get the card out!" His father added.

"Yes Mum, yes Dad." Ret said glumly. He turned towards Loot and shot him a nasty look. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Ret brought Loot to his room. As he closed the door, the boy slumped tiredly onto his bed. The thief bug jumped happily onto Ret and tried unsuccessfully to get him to play with him. "I'm not really in the mood right now Loot. Especially if I have to check your excrement everyday until I find the card…"

Unfortunately, Loot actually laughed.

"Its not funny! By the way, why didn't you help me to explain my situation just now?"

"I did!" Loot replied. "But your parents seemed as if they cannot hear me… I think only you can understand and hear me… if that is even possible."

Ret thought about it. "I guess you're right. Maybe only I can hear you speak." As he placed Loot gently onto the floor, Ret pondered about the implications of this new discovery. "Hey, do you mind staying here for the time being?"

"Of course! Especially if I get to experience some adventures as well!" Loot thought happily.

As he lay contentedly on the floor, he daydreamed about the different adventures that they may encounter together. Unknown to him, his daydreams would soon become reality.


	2. Chapter 2

This story uses characters from the online game Ragnarok Online. So basically, every skill, class and monster listed here belongs to them

Chpt2

"Ok class, the last question for this test. What is a thiefbug called when it is in transition between the thiefbug stage and full maturity?"

"Pssst!" Loot tired to catch Ret's attention. "The answer's pupa." he whispered.

Ret's hand shot up straight into the air. "It's called a pupa, sir." He replied smugly.

"Great job!" The teacher replied and the lesson droned on.

Finally, after three exhausting hours, lessons at the Prontera Novice Academy ended.

"Whew! School sucks… You're lucky you don't have to study." Ret told the insect that was in his schoolbag. "I wouldn't have come if Aeris was not in school today." He continued, eyes dreamy.

Ever since they became friends, Loot and Ret shared all their secrets. Even about Ret's romantic interest, Aeris. In fact, Loot doubled as a spy for Ret to check on Aeris's schedule.

"You better get good results and get a job soon. Otherwise, how are we going to go on adventures?" Loot rebuked him. "Anyways, I heard that Aeris is a honours student. Heard she is gonna be a mage and then a professor. Heh."

"What the heck!" Ret's eyes widened in shock. "I'll study harder for sure."

With that depressing thought, the two friends headed off for home.

Later that night-----------------

"So son, what job are you planning to be in the future?" Ret's father asked. "I heard that the registration date is two months from now."

"I really don't know… I thought of being an acolyte. After all, I like to help people. Ret replied.

"Well it does not really matter what you choose to be. Just do me proud ok?" Ret's father said, in an unusually fatherly tone.

"Dad, is something wrong?" Ret asked, concerned.

"There's something I have to tell you all. The king has ordered all able-bodied men to enter the army. The demons are getting out of hand and he wants to end this war once and for all." The hunter said seriously. "I won't be back for a while."

There was a stunned silence around the household as they came to terms with the news. Eventually, the whole family gathered together to bask in each other's company for the last time. Even Loot felt a sense of loss at this piece of news.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow. Take care of your mother ok?" Ret's father instructed seriously. "And check that thiefbug to see if he passed out my card already." He added as an afterthought.

Ret and his mother gave a reluctant chuckle. Both had a strange foreboding about this war. As if something terrible was going to happen. But all they could do was to wait and see… for now.

Five hours later-------------

A hunter silently took his Gakkung and slung it over his shoulder. He looked at his still sleeping wife and child and muttered to himself before placing a letter at the dining table. Brushing aside something from his cheek, he cursed himself for this moment of weakness. This was war. Any distractions may be fatal for him. Years hunting alone in the wild taught him that.

"Lucky no one witnessed me crying." He consoled himself.

Unknown to him, he was being watched by someone, or more specifically, Loot.

"Who would have guessed? That cold-hearted hunter actually loves them after all." The thiefbug thought. "Humans are so much more complex than I thought."

The next day-----------------

Ret walked glumly towards the Novice Academy. If it was any consolation for him, most of his classmates had their fathers conscripted as well. However, most had more than a weeks notice about this news. He only had three hours.

"Hard to imagine that just yesterday, I was worried about Aeris getting better grades than me." He whispered to something inside his schoolbag. "Now, all I want is Dad coming back home safely."

"I'm sorry I don't know what to say at a time like this." Loot said, his voice breaking.

If Ret had a careful look inside his bag, he would have realised that his homework was wet with what seems like thiefbug tears. An unbelievable sight.

"Guess so." Was Ret's reply.

That day would have been a mundane day not worth mentioning if not for what happened during our heroes's journey home.

"Well buddy, thanks for helping me 'double check' the test answers just now." Ret said without any trace of embarrassment.

"You know something? I have a feeling you're using me." Loot said moodily.

"Of course not!" Ret said hastily. "I… I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Of course, the thiefbug did not mind. It was just the lack of adventures that caused him to feel a tad impatient. Ret's father going off into war and into seemingly exciting adventures did not help as well.

All of a sudden, a shrill scream was heard before it was quickly muffled out.

"Did you hear that?" Ret asked. "Sounds like someone's in trouble!"

"YES! Lets go! To our first real adventure!" Loot replied enthusiastically.

Just ahead, our heroes saw a pretty girl being mobbed by what a group of thieves. If it was any girl, Ret may just have decided to sneak away rather than risk his life by meeting three thieves head on. However, the girl looked very familiar. In actual fact, it was Aeris.

Although Ret was infuriated, he had not lost his train of logical thought. He knew that it was impossible for him to take them head on. Therefore, they had to be defeated by wits alone. And a lot of luck.

He ordered Loot to fly towards the men and distract them as much as he could while he got ready. Next, Ret took off his bootlaces (which unlike shoelaces, were much longer and made of courser material) and tied them together. All he had to do was wait till Aeris managed to escape in the confusion created by Loot and rush in and tie the three scoundrels up.

A simple plan. One that is likely to end up in failure.

To his credit, the plan worked out perfectly at first. Loot did an impressive job in distracting the men, buying Ret time to get his 'props' properly prepared. Finally, Aeris seemed to realise that it was her best chance to escape and made a dash for it. Ret saw his chance and rushed in to tie the three thieves up. Sounds perfect? Well, actually, no. Unfortunately, in her eagerness to escape, Aeris accidentally ran into Ret, sending the both of them crashing to the ground.

"Well, what have we got here?" A fat thief walked up to them and leered.

"It seems like someone has been trying to play the hero here." Replied one of his accomplices.

In a surge of anger and extreme stupidity, Ret took a pebble lying just next to him and threw it with all his might, aiming it at the fat thief's left eye, which was covered in an eye patch.

"Ow!" The thief cried in pain and anger. "Now you're gonna get it you son of a bitch."

The three thieves circled the two children like a pack of vultures. Cornering them at the base of a large tree.

"Looks like there is no escape for you now." One of the thieves sneered. "After I kill the boy, we're gonna enjoy you slow…" he smiled lecherously as Aeris gave a disgusted look. Disgusted and yet resigned. She knew that her time was up.

"Go do your mums you paedophiles" Ret heard someone say. He looked around for their would be rescuers but saw no one. Then, a certain fluttering of shiny black wings signalled that his best friend was back to help. Not that he could be of much help.

"Grab my legs!" Loot instructed the both of them.

"Are you mad?" Ret retorted.

"JUST DO IT! YOU WANNA DIE? " Loot practically screamed at Ret.

Ret grabbed Loots legs and motioned for Aeris to do the same thing. Thankfully, she was so afraid that she did not question the reason for this seemingly useless action.

"Everybody hold on," Loot cried. "Teleportation!"

In a rush of wind, a swirling vortex engulfed them and sent them to a random spot within a five hundred-metre radius. Luckily for them, they were in a forest and properly shielded from their aggressors by a plethora of trees. Without sparing a second to catch their breaths, all three of them ran as fast as they could back to civilisation.

"Huff, puff, huff. Have we lost them?" Aeris asked.

"I think so… they wouldn't… dare to follow us into the city… I think." Ret stuttered, still unable to believe that the girl of his dreams was actually talking to him.

"Hey, thanks for saving me back there. I…uh…" Aeris stammered. "You're… a fair shot with a stone. Especially when you hit the fat thief's eye patch." She added, giggling. "I think you'll make a great hunter." She finished lamely, her cheeks a slight tinge of red. "I think I have to go. My mother's expecting me to be home before mid-day." She said finally.

"Oh! I'll… see you… in school then." Ret said. Awed by what she said just now.

As the girl turned and walked briskly away, something that was nagging at his mind finally came to surface.

"Hey, how did you manage to teleport us out of there?"

Loot looked at the boy sheepishly. "Actually, I ingested the creamy card a long time ago…" he stopped, giving the boy time to digest this piece of information. "I was able to teleport since then."

"WHAT?" Ret cried, dismayed. "You mean I had been searching through your… excrement… for nothing?"

"Um… yes… it was kinda funny…" Loot replied, even more embarrassed than usual.

Ret took up his schoolbag and stalked off. Leaving the mischievous thiefbug at the pavement. He was not extremely angry of course. How could he be? After what Aeris said to him. He just wanted Loot to know that he disapproved of that behaviour.

"Hey wait up ok? I'm sorry buddy…" Loot said.

"A hunter… hmm…" Ret said dreamily.

"What?" Loot enquired.

"Oh nothing…" Ret said, a blush working its was to his cheeks before he could conceal it.

To be continued...

Thanks to everyone who read this story. I will probably update about once every week. Hopefully.

Some useless info: Our main character's name, Ret Carahc. Spell it backwards and you get... drumroll... Character! Yeah, I was too tired to think of something original. Hope you guys don't mind.

By the way,comments and criticisms aregreatly encouraged.


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